SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) revealed on 19 June that it has received 120 reports of Training Employment Pass (TEP) abuse in 2025, although it did not provide figures from previous years for comparison.
The TEP, a scheme designed to allow foreign students and corporate trainees to undertake short-term professional training in Singapore, has come under increased scrutiny following allegations that employers and agents have used it to bring in foreign workers for low-wage jobs.
In response to CNA’s queries, MOM said it “takes these claims seriously” and has already completed investigations into several cases, with others still ongoing.
Industry insiders told The Straits Times that the pass is often exploited because it does not impose quotas or levies on employers, unlike work permits or S Passes, which are meant for lower-skilled or semi-skilled roles.
Allegations of Misuse Raised by TWC2
Concerns over the misuse of the TEP were first raised by Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), a non-profit organisation supporting low-wage migrant workers.
In May 2025, TWC2 sounded the alarm, citing a rising number of foreign workers holding TEPs who had approached the group for help since December 2024.
In a report titled Management Executives Washing Dishes, the group detailed 13 cases of alleged TEP misuse between 1 December 2024 and 26 April 2025.
The affected workers came from India (six cases), Bangladesh (six), and Myanmar (one).
According to TWC2, these workers were deceived by agents into paying between S$3,000 and S$5,000 in agent fees on the promise of well-paying professional jobs in Singapore.
Instead, they found themselves working in low-wage sectors such as food and beverage outlets, warehouses, cleaning services, and even tour coach agencies.
In some cases, workers were allegedly made to start work before their TEPs were formally issued, which is illegal under Singapore’s regulations.
Some employers reportedly delayed pass issuance by nearly 30 days, extracting up to four months of labour from a three-month pass.
Workers were allegedly subjected to gruelling schedules of 14-hour days, seven days a week.
Although the TEP stipulates a minimum fixed salary of S$3,000, TWC2 said many affected workers received only between S$1,600 and S$1,800 in cash.
MOM Steps Up Enforcement
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, an MOM spokesperson confirmed that an average of around 6,800 TEPs were approved each year over the past decade, mostly for roles in the services sector.
The ministry said it has stepped up enforcement to tackle TEP misuse and reaffirmed that the pass is intended for professional, managerial, executive, or specialist training roles, with trainees required to earn at least S$3,000 a month.
The TEP allows foreign students or trainees from a company’s overseas office or subsidiary to undergo practical training in Singapore for up to three months.
For student applicants, the attachment must be tied to their studies, or they must meet the S$3,000 salary requirement.
Among those legitimately approved for TEPs are trainee lawyers who are not Singaporeans or permanent residents, and foreign medical professionals enrolled in clinical fellowship programmes.
Exploitation by Agents and Employers
Dr David Leong, managing director of human resources firm PeopleWorldwide Consulting, said some agents have exploited the scheme to meet labour shortages, particularly in industries struggling to fill low-wage or undesirable roles.
“Some employers, unaware of the full extent of the agents’ misconduct, are unwittingly drawn into these schemes, believing they are addressing legitimate staffing needs,” he said.
“Others, however, knowingly collaborate with agents, taking advantage of the lax oversight to exploit workers for cheap labour.”
He warned that some private education institutions may also act as fronts to channel workers into low-wage, temporary jobs disguised as training.
Former MOM prosecutor Jason Chua, speaking in his personal capacity, described the TEP as a “relatively niche pass” intended for skilled training, not for economic contribution through labour.
He noted that the TEP is often confused with the Training Work Permit, which is specifically for unskilled or semi-skilled foreign trainees and carries levies and quota restrictions.
The short duration of the TEP typically makes it impractical for employers to misuse it for anything other than labour-intensive roles with high turnover, he added.
Fake Payslips and Ongoing Exploitation
TWC2’s executive director, Ethan Guo, told The Straits Times that affected workers were sometimes forced to sign false payslips stating they had received their full salary, even when they were underpaid.
“We even saw one instance where the pay slips were not even issued to or signed by the workers, but instead doctored digitally,” he said.
Some workers were not given any work at all and, as a result, did not receive any pay.
Despite mounting evidence of abuse, attempts to exploit the TEP scheme have continued.
According to TWC2, a video circulated on TikTok by an employment agent advertised the advantages of hiring workers through the TEP scheme.
The group also said that agents were advising prospective employers that there was no need to pay the legal minimum salary of S$3,000 for this type of pass, allegedly suggesting that something like S$2,000 “would do”.
TWC2 further flagged a YouTube channel that allegedly promotes services for obtaining “all types” of visas to enter Singapore.
Many of the videos appeared to feature workers who claimed to have successfully entered Singapore using the TEP.
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